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EPA pays out nearly $500K in unauthorized bonuses

According to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General, the EPA gave out $481,819 in unauthorized bonuses between 2006 and 2013. From Fox News:

An Inspector General (IG) investigation found that 11 EPA employees received $481,819 in unauthorized retention bonuses between 2006 and 2013. The bonuses are meant to incentivize employees who receive other job offers.

The bonuses are supposed to be reauthorized annually, but for 10 of those EPA officials, the IG could find no evidence that their bonuses were reviewed, as required by federal regulations and EPA policies....The IG cited confusion, lack of internal controls, and failure by managers and employees to follow up on notices. The investigation was spurred by the case of John Beale, a senior EPA official who bilked the agency out of nearly $900,000 in fraudulent travel expenses and unauthorized retention bonuses.